“Out Here Punching People in the Kidneys”: Kevin Durant’s Frustrated Strike Against the Pelicans Has NBA Fans in Splits

Prateek Singh | 01/03/2025
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) passes the ball by New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) to Phoenix Suns center Bol Bol (11) during the first half at Footprint Center.

The Phoenix Suns have been on a disappointing run lately, having lost seven of their last 10 games. The latter half of this season hasn’t been going well for them and the frustration has started to creep in on the players. Kevin Durant, who is usually a very calm individual, recently lost his cool on the floor during the Suns’ latest game against the Pelicans.

During a Pelicans possession, Karlo Matkovic was setting a screen for Trey Murphy III in an attempt to free up space for a shot attempt. That’s when KD’s frustration reared its ugly head, making him resort to punching the 23-year-old.

As Matkovic was moving away from KD to head towards the bucket, the Suns’ superstar landed a right-hand punch on the side of his abdomen. Although it could’ve led to something potentially dangerous, the internet has been in splits watching KD react this way.

Overtime posted the clip on X with the caption, “Kevin Durant DGAF anymore.”

Popular X parody account Hater Report wrote, “Kevin Durant willing to do ANYTHING to get out of Phoenix Lmaooo. He out here punching people in the kidneys.”

After the trade deadline, the Suns’ season has gone downhill. Their current record, 28-32, would’ve been much worse if it weren’t for the dubs they collected early in the season. KD’s action, although wrong, can’t be called an overreaction considering how long it’s been boiling up inside his head. Fliff’s social media also posted a reaction to KD punching the Pelicans star.

KD had another bout of frustration during yesterday’s game against the Pelicans. He got angry at Tyus Jones for failing to read the game as he was trying to clear up space. Players getting frustrated on the court isn’t an uncommon thing, but it’s very rare to see KD in this state.

He isn’t one to lose his temper on his opponents or teammates, but in the last two games, he has done both. After yesterday’s loss, KD was asked about Mike Budenholzer’s comment on the need to stay optimistic, Durant gave a very diplomatic answer.

https://twitter.com/GeraldBourguet/status/1895339782064218319

He said, “I don’t wanna say the wrong thing and people take it out of context. So I’m gonna just agree that we just gotta be better.” It’s clear that the 36-year-old isn’t happy with the way things are running in Phoenix. Although the Suns clinched a win over the Pels tonight, it’s unlikely that it’ll make KD forget everything that has happened in the past month.

Post Edited By: Satagni Sikder
Kevin Durant

About the author

Avatar photo

Prateek Singh

Prateek is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush. He has over 900 published articles under his name. Prateek merged his passion for writing and his love for the sport of basketball to make a career out of it. Other than basketball, he is also an ardent follower of the UFC and soccer. Apart from the world of sports, he has followed hip-hop religiously and often writes about the origins, evolution, and the biggest stars of the music genre.

Don’t miss these